The Forgotten Kingdom of Zeal
by sierragust
Summary: While Marle and her team were exploring the Zeal kingdom, Schala soon encounters a certain black haired swordsman who lost his entire family.
1. Chapter 1

When Sasuke opened his eyes, he found himself in a snow-covered wasteland with a large building behind a mountain. Getting to his bearings, the Uchiha swordsman went over to the building.

Inside was a teleporter atop a set of stairs. Sasuke walked to the strange circle, and felt himself being lifted to another teleporter on a floating island. Stepping off the teleporter, Sasuke looked at his surroundings.

_Where am I? _He thought, looking up at the palace that was perched on a mountain. He jumped onto the large island, using the caves' teleporters to get to the palace.

As he entered, Sasuke saw a spiky red haired young man, a blond haired young woman, and a lavender haired girl wearing glasses similar to Kabuto. Sasuke looked to his side, and saw a blue haired young woman wearing a pendant and flowing purple robes.

The young woman looked up and saw the young swordsman. "Who might you be?"

Clearing his throat, Sasuke walked over to her. "I'm Sasuke Uchiha."

* * *

**Author's Note: I know Sasuke is in the Zeal Kingdom.**


	2. Chapter 2: The Golem

The young woman smiled at Sasuke and was about to say her name until.

"Schala!" A young boy said.

"Oh, you're back Janus!" Schala said. "Is something wrong?"

Janus nodded.

"The black wind..."

"You feel it too? Don't worry, it'll be all right." Schala said.

"Now, hold onto this." She gave Janus something.

"What is it?"

"It's a kind of amulet. If something should happen, it'll protect you.

I wish I could be with you always...

But mother has other plans."

Janus turned around.

"She's NOT our mother! She looks like mother, but inside she has changed."

Schala looked down.

"...

Still I can't...

Janus, I'm sorry."

Sasuke then noticed the spiky red haired young man was there as well. A woman came up the stairs.

"The Queen asks for your immediate presence at the Ocean Palace."

"All right. Well, Janus... I'll be going." Schala said and walked out.

When she saw Crono, Marle and Lucca, she stopped.

"And who might you be?"

The servant turned around.

"Miss Schala, please hurry! If you are late, I'll be punished."

"Oh, sorry."

Schala followed the servant out.

"C'mon!" Marle said. "Let's check that Ocean Palace."

Crono nodded, and they sneaked after Schala.

Sasuke followed the trio as they followed Schala into a corridor. It ended with a door.

Crono recognized the door, but didn't know where he had seen it before.

Schala held up her Pendant and it began to glow.

Then the door opened.

Schala walked in.

"Marle." Crono said. "Can you borrow me your pendant?"

"Sure." Marle said and gave it to him.

He held it up in front of the door.

The door glowed, but didn't open. The glow faded out.

"Hmm..." Marle said.

"There is something with that pendant." Lucca said.

"Yeah... I got an idea!" Crono exclaimed. "This way!"

He ran into the Mammon Machine room.

"You... Are sure this will work?" Marle asked.

"Nope." Crono said and put Marle's pendant in the energy flow.

It was glowing when it came back.

"Let's go and see if it works now."

Crono held up Marle's pendant, and the door opened.

"Yeah, We did it!" Marle exclaimed.

"Heh, heh... Even a door of this caliber can't keep science at bay." Lucca cheered.

Crono put Marle's pendant around his neck.

"Let's go!" he said and they entered the door.

On a big throne was Queen Zeal sitting.

On her right was Schala and a man in a blue cape.

On her left was Dalton.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?" The Queen shouted.

The man in the blue cape turned around.

"Your majesty... They are the evildoers I warned you of."

Queen Zeal stared at Crono.

"How DARE you think you could oppose me, you...foreigners!

You're worse than the Gurus! Fools! Dalton, take them away!"

"Yes Ma'am!" Dalton said. "By your leave... Golem!"

The Prophet, Dalton, Schala and the Queen teleported away themselves.

Then a black gate opened and a brown thing came out of it.

"What IS that?" Marle asked.

"Dalton called it a Golem." Crono said.

The Golem raised it's hand and an iron ball appeared, just above Lucca's head.

It fell down on her.

Lucca got up.

"Big mistake."

She summoned her fire powers and used her most powerful fire spell on it.

A huge fire explosion erupted.

Marle used her healing magic on Lucca.

"Hey." Lucca said. "Wasn't any need for it. I'm okay."

Marle nodded.

Crono jumped forward and drilled his sword into it.

The Golem leaped backward, but got soon up again.

Marle fired an ice sphere on the Golem and trapped it in ice.

Once the ice was out, ice crystals circled around the Golem and it fired an ice crystal on Crono.

"Marle!" Lucca said. "Don't do that. It copies you attack."

"Looks like everything I do is wrong." Marle said and used her heal spell on Crono.

Crono got up.

He slashed the Golem again, but the Golem was a hard opponent.

Marle loaded with an explosive arrow and fired it on the Golem.

One arm fell of, but it didn't care.

"What is this thing?" Marle said.

"I see my arrows are working." Lucca shouted.

"They do." Crono said calm and gathered some energy.

He fired lightnings in every direction, like he did on the Tyrano.

The Golem created another iron ball, and dropped it on Crono.

He didn't rose.

"Crono!" Marle said and ran to him.

Pulling his katana out, Sasuke cleanly sliced the other arm off of the golem. Crono got up.

"Let's show him. Lucca? Gimme some Fire!"

Lucca nodded.

"Understood."

She summoned some fire and fired it above the Golem.

Crono jumped up and caught the fire.

He dived down with his sword and slashed the Golem.

Marle waited for Crono to back of before she fired her last explosive arrow.

The Golem scattered.

In the same moment, The Queen, The prophet, Schala and Dalton came back.

Dalton was red in his face.

"My poor Golem! That was inexcusable!"

Dalton raised his hand, and created a new black gate.

Crono, Marle and Lucca were sucked onto it.

Then a triangle was formed around them.

"I can't move!" Marle exclaimed.

"We're trapped!" Crono said.

The Queen laughed and stepped down.

"Mwa, ha, ha... Fear not!

You won't die... Immediately, that is!

By the time we're through with you, you'll be begging us to end your suffering.

What a delicious diversion!"


	3. Chapter 3: Kidnapped

Somewhere above the clouds, in a room, was Crono, Marle and Lucca trapped.

Or not trapped...

They were hovering many meters above ground, everyone unconscious.

It all seemed hopeless.

Or...

"Hmph! Idiots...

What will you do, Schala?" Janus said.

He and his big sister walked into the room.

"Let us rescue them."

Janus wasn't that positive.

"I think it's useless. Besides, if they escape, you'll be in trouble."

Schala turned to him.

"Don't worry about me. They just might be able to rescue the Gurus."

She walked to the machine and pressed a few buttons.

The machine turned off and Crono, Marle and Lucca came down and recovered.

"Are you all right? Quickly, escape from the palace!"

"Wha..." Crono said, still a little bit dizzy.

"And if you can, please rescue Melchior!

He was sent to the Mountain of Woe for opposing the Queen.

Please! You have to help him!"

Crono nodded, but...

"I'm afraid I can't allow that..." a voice said.

The Prophet walked in.

He turned to Crono.

"Your meddling tires me. You'll... just have to disappear!"

Schala walked in his way.

"You mustn't!"

The Prophet looked at her.

"...!"

Janus grabbed him arm.

"Stop!"

Janus cat meowed.

The Prophet looked on each of them.

"Okay... I'll spare them."

Crono breathed out.

"But in return, you WILL cooperate. Schala!

Now, show me how you came here."

At the cave on Earthbound island

Crono, Marle and Lucca walked in first, followed by the Prophet and Schala.

They showed them the gate.

"Now Schala!" The Prophet said.

"After I throw them in, I want you to seal the portal shut."

Schala protested.

"N,no! You can't make me!"

The Prophet looked at her.

"Obey me! Their lives are at stake!"

"I... oh, all right."

The Prophet waved with his hands, and the gate opened. Crono, Lucca and Marle stepped in.

Sasuke charged in with his sword drawn but the Prophet stepped aside, and he was pulled into the gate as well.

After the gate had shut, Schala said a few words, and with a flash, the gate became surrounded by a pink triangle.

The Prophet walked out.

Schala looked down.

"Please forgive me..."

Crono, Marle and Lucca came out in 65000000 BC, from the gate they took to Zeal.

"Phew..." Crono said as they came out.

Marle thought for a second.

"Why did the Prophet let us go?"

Lucca stepped forward.

"The key to defeating Lavos must exist in that period."

"Wait a moment!" Marle said. "Don't you remember that old man, Belthasar in the future.

Perhaps he can help us."

"Good idea!" Crono said. "Let's go see him."

"Hey!" Lucca said. "I'm the one who thinks here!"

Crono turned around and eventually saw a raven haired swordsman lying on the ground. He picked him up.

"And what do you suggest?"

"Let's go see Belthasar."

"Phew..." Marle said as they landed at End of Time.

"Never thought I would see it again."

They walked down to the others.

"Where have you been? We have been worried." Robo said.

"We were in the kingdom of Zeal." Lucca said.

"Aha..." The old man said. "So you've been to the land of Magic..."

He looked up on the gate room.

The pillars for 'Earthbound island' and 'Tyrano ruins' where gone.

"Now that the pillar of light is sealed, you'll be needing something that will transport you through time. I recall someone working on such a device. The Wings of Time, I believe he called it."

Crono nodded.

"What happen?" Ayla asked.

"It's a long story." Crono said. "Perhaps one of us should stay and tell them."

Marle nodded.

"Sure. Robo can take my place. Who'll take Lucca's?"

None answered.

"I can continue." Lucca said.

"But..." Marle said. "Weren't you the one who said everything about fair time?"

Lucca ignored her.

"C'mon Crono."

Robo rose and followed them up.

Crono chose the gate to Bangor dome, where they came first, after escaping the guards.

"This is nostalgic!" Lucca said as they appeared in Bangor dome, 2300 AD.

"Remember when we got here the first time?"

Crono nodded.

"I sure do."

Lucca was just going to walk out when she saw the door on the opposite wall.

"H, hey! Look!"

Crono turned around.

He remembered that they had tried to open it before, but without any success.

Now he understood why.

The door had those Zeal signs on it. It was the same kind of door as in Zeal.

"How..." He said.

"What?" Robo asked.

Lucca explained everything about Zeal, and what had happened.

Crono held up Marle's pendant, and it began to glow.

The door opened.

They walked in.

"Look!" Crono said and pointed.

Lucca walked in, followed by Robo.

There were weapons place by the wall.

"Look! A sword for me, and a crossbow for Marle and... Here's toys for everyone."

Robo picked up a robot arm.

"This may come handy."

Crono picked up a sword by the wall.

He really liked his red katana, but this sword was both sharper and better.

Lucca found a new gun.

"Robo? Do you think you can take all this to End of Time? Here's the gate key."

Robo nodded and picked up all weapons and entered the gate.

He came back after a minute.

"Okay!" Crono said. "Keepers Dome next. Let's see if we remember the way."

Lucca did.

"We have to cross Lab 16 to get there. And why don't we visit Doan in his dome?"

Crono nodded.

"Right!"

They walked out.

"I wonder what Lab 16 looks like." Robo said.

"I can't remember." Crono said. "But we'll find out."

Without any problem, they crossed the Lab 16 and walked to Arris Dome.

"Hey! It's those people again!" A little kid said.

"Hey fellas!" Doan said. "Look! The sead's sprouted!"

Crono walked to him and looked on the small plant.

"Looks like you'll survive after all." Lucca said.

"Yes. After you came, we have gained the courage to live."

Crono sat down in a corner.

"It's late. Why don't we get some sleep and continue tomorrow?"

Lucca nodded.

Crono could see a weak image of Lavos.

Lavos was a big shell with thousands of spikes on.

On the front side of the shell was a beak.

Then Crono saw other persons, in front of Lavos.

Totally five persons lied in front of Lavos. Another one was standing on Lavos.

Crono saw that one of the persons rose.

It was himself.

He looked confused around.

Then Lavos opened it's beak and roared.

A white blast came out of it, who scattered all persons in front of Lavos.

Crono saw himself die. Die along with others.

Was this the fate who awaited him and two other if they tried to stop Lavos?

"NO!"

"No..."

"No..."

"Crono?"

Crono opened his eyes.

"Huh?"

He found himself back in the dome.

Lucca leaned over him.

"Something's wrong?"

Crono shook his head.

"No. I'm fine."

After an hour, they left for sever access.

The sewer access was just as scary as last time, but Crono and Lucca wasn't really worried.

"I wonder if any of those creatures who we killed last time lives here?"

The answer came with a roar.

"Yep." Lucca said.

A monster came out of the darkness and it looked just like the one they met here for almost a week ago.

The monster dashed forward and tried to grab Crono.

But Crono was to fast and jumped backward.

Robo tackled the monster, but it didn't do very much in damage.

"He's mine!" Crono said.

Crono pulled up his sword and jumped forward.

The monster protected itself with it's claws, but Crono's sword drilled itself deep into the claw.

Lucca fired her new gun, and blowed off the needle from the tail.

Crono flipped over the monster and as it turned after, it faced Crono's sword.

With one simple cut, the monster died.

Crono holstered his sword.

"I'm getting good at this."

"So..." Lucca said. "This is the Keepers Dome."

They walked inside, but found out that Belthasar wasn't there.

But his Nu was.

Crono walked forward to it.

It was sleeping.

"Eh... Excuse me..."

The Nu woke up.

"Please do not disturb my slumber."

Crono nodded and walked into the room.

"Look!" Lucca said, and pointed on a door.

It had Zeal engraves.

Crono held up Marle's pendant.

The door opened, and they walked in.

The room they came into had one more door on the other wall.

As they walked towards it, a voice said:

"To those who opened the door..."

"Crono! Was that you?" Lucca said supriced.

Crono shook his head.

The voice continued.

"I am Belthasar, the Guru of Reason. I once lived in the Kingdom of Zeal.

A great disaster in Zeal somehow threw me into this era.

To my surprise, Lavos exists here, and I suspect, in other periods as well.

Aeons ago, Lavos descended from heavens.

Burrowing deep into the world's core, he began to consume our planet's energy, and grow stronger.

Lavos disappeared briefly when he was summoned away by a great wizard who lived in Guardia, in the year 600.

In 1999, Lavos claims this area, and reigns from high atop Death Peak.

Lavos continues to replicate... like a giant parasite, he is consuming our world.

Forced to live here, I continued to conduct research on Lavos. But I am growing old.

And it's impossible to keep sane in such trying times. So before I lose it completely, I shall safeguard my data, and my ultimate creation...

How I long to return home...

But I have grown frail...

So you... YOU, who have opened the door!

I leave things in your hands.

Only by mastering time, itself, do you stand a chance against Lavos.

The odds will be against you...

But you are true heroes.

The world is in your hands.

Open now, the last door, and take what you find there.

My last invention...

My "Wings of Time" ..."

"Wings of Time!" Lucca exclaimed.

Crono opened the last door.

They came into a big room, and in it was a huge machine.

It looked like a silver cylinder.

"This must be the machine Belthasar spoke of." Lucca said.

Robo beeped.

"The Wings of Time! I believe I have heard of this device."

Crono looked back on the door they came from and then saw something block it.

"Hey!" he shouted.

Then he saw that the thing who blocked the door was moving inside.

Then he realized that it was the seats for the machine someone pushed in.

Then Crono saw that it was the Nu.

"Scared you, didn't I? It's me... BELTHASAR!"

"Say what!" Lucca said supriced.

"I copied my memory into this thing.

What do you think?

Anyway, there's something I need to explain.

Namely, how to transcend time!

But first, hop aboard!"

Crono, Robo and Lucca took a seat each, and the seats hovered up into the machine.

"First." Belthasar said. "Name my time machine."

Crono thought for a long time.

"How about 'Lucca I'." Lucca suggested.

Crono shook his head.

"Nope. Epoch. That's a good name for a time machine."

Lucca nodded.

"Okay. Better than 'Marle I'."

Belthasar explained the controls, and then the Nu fell back into sleep.

"Let's take it to End of Time." Crono said and switched some buttons.

The surrounding environment turned into lines, and then everything looked like some red-yellow mixture.

"Warp speed?" Lucca said. "Epoch is capable of THIS?"

They landed just outside the main room.

Crono jumped out, followed by Robo and Lucca.

"Hey." The old man said.

They walked to the others and took a seat.

"Interesting. So he actually finished the 'Wings of Time'. In fact, gave his life for it.

Why not put that device to good use. Take it to the ancient land of Magic."

"We will." Crono said. "Marle? Frog? It's your turn now."

"Okay!" Marle said and rushed to Epoch. Frog walked easily and took a seat in the back.

Crono placed himself in the front and then helped Marle to get in.

Crono set the time meter on 12000 BC.

With a flash, Epoch traveled through time to 12000 BC, the dark ages.

When the environment turned normal, Crono, Marle and Frog could see nothing but snow.

Crono opened the capsule glass, and jumped out, followed by Marle and Frog.

"What are we going to do now?" Marle asked.

"I don't know." Crono answered. "Schala told us to save some guru on the mountain of Woe."

Marle nodded.

"Yeah. I guess that's best to do. The Prophet will se us if we go up there."

Frog pointed on the floating mountain.

"That one?"

Crono looked at it.

"Could be. Don't know for sure. Let's go there. It's our best alternative for the moment."

With a high speed, they walked towards the floating mountain.

"Look! A cave!" Marle suddenly exclaimed.

Crono looked after a cave and after a few seconds found it.

Then he looked closer on the mountain.

It was attached with a chain on an island far out in the ice cold ocean.

"Let's check that cave out. It will hopefully lead us to that island."

The others agreed.

"This looks so... Man made!" Marle said as they entered.

"Yeah!" Crono said and looked around on the cave.

"You think this is..."

"The village of the Earthbound Ones?" a voice said.

They looked around, trying to see who it was.

"Calm down!" Crono said. "We are not any Enlighten Ones."

"Then come in."

Crono sneaked further into the cave, followed by Frog.

Marle came just after him.

A man waited outside a new cave opening.

"This is Algetty, the village of the Earthbound Ones."

Crono nodded and entered.

Many persons, not very unlike them in the dark future, sat around a camp fire.

"You're from above?" a man said.

Crono nodded.

"The Queen put the Mammon machine in the Ocean palace to absorb Lavos's energy.

Is that safe?"

Crono shook his head.

"I dunno."

"She locked the guru of Life up on the Mountain of Woe for opposing her. The situation is hopeless."

"Not hopeless." An old man said. "The guru of Life said that sir Janus has stronger powers than even miss Schala. Janus must be using her and the Queen to get to Lavos."

"Does every Enlighten One treat you bad?" Marle asked.

A woman shook her head.

"No. The three Gurus and miss Schala treat us as equal. But now when the Gurus are gone..."

Crono could hear a few kids saying:

"Wonder when miss Schala's coming to play with us?"

Marle looked on Crono.

"What a terrible place... I mean terrible time! Let's do something! Let's go to that mountain and pick down the Guru."

Crono nodded.

He turned to the elder.

"Excuse me, but... How do I get to the Mountain of Woe?"

"What are you going to do there?"

"Save the Guru."

The old man look skeptic first, but then he changed his mind.

He pointed on a new cave opening.

"Follow that cave, and you'll get there. But beware! There might be monsters in there."

"Don't worry." Marle said.

Crono, Frog and Marle walked into the cave, to search for the lost Guru.

The cave was dark and scary, but luckily, didn't contain any monsters so far...

"How long can it be?" Crono asked, didn't really caring about what the answer would be, just interested to start a conversation.

"I don't know." Marle said. "How far away did the island seemed to be?"

Crono shook his head.

"Dunno."

"At least a few kilometers." Frog said.

"Okay..." Marle said. "How long have we been walking?"

"Not that long." Crono said and smiled.

"I KNOW THAT." Marle said, tried to sound irritated.

"You know..." Crono said. "You're cute when you're angry."

Marle looked at him.

Crono didn't really expect this reaction.

"I'M NOT ANGRY AT ALL! GOT IT?"

"Sure!" Crono said and smiled as he looked away.

Marle looked in the opposite direction.

" 'Tis isn't the right time to think about ladies." Frog said and held his Masamune harder.

"Fine!" Marle said. "Sounds like you two heroes can make it without me!"

She stopped.

Frog croaked.

"Thou missed my point."

Crono walked to her.

"Sorry, Marle... I didn't mean to..."

"Well, well..." Marle said. "Whatever you meant, I guess I just took it wrong. Now, we've got things to do. Let's hurry."

She walked even faster and put an neo-elektric arrow on her new crossbow.

"Look!" Marle suddenly said and stopped. "A chain!"

And there it was.

Just a small chain in the ground, leading upwards.

"There's an other one!" Crono said and pointed deeper into the cave.

That one was much bigger. Probably more then one meter width.

It led upwards through a small tunnel.

Marle ran forward to it.

"I think we can pass here!"

"No, you can't..." a voice said.

"Who?" Marle asked.

As a response, someone kicked her in her face.

A brown imp came walking down the chain.

"You'll regret that!" Crono said and leaped forward with his sword.

But something big came in his way.

Crono leaped into it, and was thrown back.

They looked up on the newcomers.

It was two big beasts, one red and one blue.

The imp laughed.

"Haha! You can't pass here!"

"I can't agree there!" Crono said and slashed his sword against the red beast.

His sword made a small cut, but didn't get through the deep skin.

The red beast ran him over.

"Aoohohhaaa..." Crono yelled. "Well... I'm used to this technique..."

Frog held up him Masamune, jumped up, and dived down.

His sword made a deep cut on the red beast.

The imp jumped up on the blue, and directed them both to crush Frog.

But being a frog have a few positive sides.

Frog simply jumped up, and evaded the attack.

"Grrr..." the imp said.

Marle summoned her ice powers and fired an ice crystal on the blue beast.

It's wounds healed.

"What?! The blue one absorbs ice powers!"

Crono nodded.

"Let's see how he handles lightning!"

Crono gathered all magic energy and fired lightnings in every direction.

The lightnings barely damage any of their opponents.

"We need Lucca!" Crono said.

"I agree..." Marle said as she fired an arrow on the blue beast. "...for once."

Crono jumped back to evade an attack from the red beast.

"You don't hate her, do you?"

"No." Marle said as she reloaded. "But she hates me."

"Stop talking." Frog said from the other edge of the room.

Crono picked up his gate key and activated a new gate.

"I works even here!" Crono exclaimed as a new gate grew.

"Who'll go?" Marle said. "You can't, Frog is out of reach... Then it have to be me."

Crono nodded.

"I call ya back."

Marle jumped into the gate, and Lucca came out.

"Woooaa..."

She looked on the two beasts.

"Hey! Where did ya find these guys?"

"I'll explain later!" Crono said and slashed after the imp. "Roast the blue one!"

Lucca nodded.

She summoned her magic and placed a fire explosion under the blue beast.

It died.

"Yep..." Lucca said. "Just leave it to Lucca the great!"

Then the red one ran her over.

Crono dived forward and drilled his sword into the red beast.

"Frog! Use you water magic!"

Frog nodded, and summoned his powers.

"No wait!" Crono said. "Gimme something for my sword."

Frog nodded.

He summoned his water powers and fired a bubble high up in the air.

Crono jumped up, placed himself inside the bubble and dived down with water surrounding him.

The red beast died.

"Bigger they are..." Crono started but...

"We know the rest." Lucca interrupted.

"Where is the brown imp?" Frog asked and looked around.

"Gone." Crono said.

"We don't have time for this." Lucca said. "Where are we anyway?"

Crono looked up. Small water drops came down from the ceiling.

"Under water."

"SAY WHAT?"

"We're under water. We found the earthbound village, and a cave to the floating mountain led from there. And here we are."

Lucca nodded.

"I see."

Crono picked up the gate key.

"I guess it's most fair to let Robo in, right?"

Lucca nodded.

"Sure."

Crono created a gate, and Lucca stepped into it, and Robo came out.

"Let's go!" Crono said. "To the top!"

Frog took the lead upwards the chain, followed by Crono who was explaining what had happened.

They climbed up the gigantic chain and got up on Mt. Woe.

The fog made it possible to see only a few meters ahead, so it made the climbing difficult.

"How far have we've been climbing?" Crono asked after an eternity.

"Only a few hundred meters." Robo answered.

Crono carefully placed his foots on safe places, not to fall down.

"I think it's getting easier from here." Frog said.

Crono looked up and could see him climb up on an edge.

"Yes it is!" He said when he was up.

Crono hurried up and looked around.

No more climbing. They could walk on paths up to the top from here.

"What's that noise?" Robo said as he came up.

Crono listened, but couldn't hear anything.

"I don't hear anything."

"Me neither." Frog said.

"Well..." Robo said. "I guess that my hearing system is malfunctioning."

They walked up on a path, leading to the top.

Suddenly an galgyle jumped down.

"Hey!" Crono said. "You live in this period too?"

The gargyle threw a big rock on him.

"Aaaooo..." Crono yelled.

Frog draw the Masamune and jumped for the gargyle.

It moved quickly away, and made a loud noise.

"Not good." Robo said. "I think he is calling for his friends."

Two more came jumping down.

Crono swinged his sword after one of them, but missed.

Three more came down.

"They're getting more for each second!" Crono yelled.

"Let us go up there." Frog said and pointed on a plateau.

Crono nodded and ran up, to avoid any stones.

They came up to an open battlefield.

About twenty galgyles came after them.

"Moments like this..." Crono said. "Calls for some magic."

Lightnings flew out of him and knocked down most of the galgyle.

Frog slashed two with his sword, and Robo hit one.

The remaining fled in panic.

Crono looked after them.

"Let's go." He finally said.

They walked up the mountain.

"I..." Robo said.

Crono turned around.

"Huh?"

"Can Lucca take my place?"

Crono looked strange at him.

"Sure... But why?"

"I fear... That I won't be useful here."

"Okay..."

Crono opened a new gate.

"Hey! It works even here!"

Robo walked in and Lucca came out.

"You're up?"

Crono nodded.

"Then Marle shall take mine." Frog said and walked into the gate before it closed.

Marle came out.

"Hi! What's happening?"

"We've almost reached the top of Mt. Woe."

Marle nodded.

"Okay... So the guru should be here somewhere?"

Crono nodded.

"Let's go to the top and search there." Lucca suggested.

Crono nodded.

They walked up.

"Look!" Crono said as they reached the highest platform.

He pointed on a cage, not unlike an ice cube.

"The Guru of Life's trapped in here." Marle said.

Then the cage faded out.

"It's disappearing!" Lucca exclaimed.

"What's going on?" Crono said.

In the same moment, a huge thing came up from a big hole in the ground.

It looked like a well-armored machine, with two huge arms.

In a matter of seconds, Crono was holding in his sword, Marle had her crossbow ready, and Lucca was holding her gun.

Crono jumped up and used his spin-cut technique.

He aimed for the big head, and cut his sword deep into the... thing.

It counterattacked by firing flashes between it's arms, and by that way create a huge discharge.

Crono felt like a doll, when he was tossed down to the ground.

He looked up.

Marle and Lucca was also on the ground.

Crono resisted his pain, and rose up.

Then two huge fire explosions came out of it's hands.

Crono was thrown down again.

"Everybody okay?" Crono said as he looked up.

Marle burned face gave him an answer.

"Stupid question..."

Marle sat up and fired an neo-electrik arrow on the face.

Flashed appeared around the face, and it gave her enough time to cast her cure spell on Crono and on herself, before it got normal.

"Marle, watch it!" Crono screamed, and Marle rolled to the right, just to avoid being crushed by the monsters hands.

Crono fired a lightning on the head, but didn't do very much damage.

"Lucca?"

No response.

"Marle! Cure her!"

Marle nodded and casted her cure spell on Lucca.

She slowly rose.

She picked up a small grenade from her bag and threw it on the monster.

The monster covered itself with it's arms.

Crono jumped up and slashed the face, but his sword was too weak.

Marle looked on Lucca.

Lucca nodded.

"Antipode!"

Marle fired an ice crystal, and Lucca made it explode with her fire powers.

A big crack appeared on the monsters helm.

One arm moved up, and somehow received the main body.

"It's useless as long as it got it's arms!" Marle yelled. "Crono! Cut them off!"

Crono leaped forward and slashed one hand.

It fell off.

The other one knocked Crono down.

Marle ran forward and casted a cure spell on him, while Lucca made a fire explosion on the main body. When Crono got up, He cut off the other arm.

"Let's toast him!" Lucca said and launched a fire coil.

Crono jumped up, and caught it and dived down, to slash the face.

His firesword made a big crack.

Marle fired a standard arrow, aiming for the crack, but missed with a few centimeters.

Crono jumped up again, but suddenly, two new arms came up and stopped him.

"Where did they came from?" Crono yelled.

The two new hands fired a new fire explosion, knocking Crono, Marle and Lucca to the ground.

Marle searched desperate for an ether, but couldn't find any.

"Damn..."

Crono grabbed his sword and looked up.

"You're going down!"

He jumped up, just to cut of one of the arms, but the monster had learned.

Crono was knocked down again. Out of nowhere, an outline of a giant tiger made out of lightning attacked the beast, followed by the raven swordsman channeling his attack through his sword.

Marle suddenly found an explosive arrow. Not much, but something.

"Crono! Keep the arms away from the head!"

Crono nodded and leaped forward.

One arm smashed him to the ground, and he didn't move.

Lucca fired a shoot with her gun, and made a big hole in the arm.

Then she placed a fire explosion between the two arms.

Both arms were knocked in two different directions.

"That's you chance! Go!"

Marle aimed for the crack.

"You think you can hit?" Lucca shouted.

"Trust me." Marle said and pulled the trigger.

With a flashy explosion, the monster disappeared in thousands of pieces.

"Have I ever told you, that you are a mastershooter?" Crono suddenly said.

"Crono!" Marle said and ran to him. "I thought you were out."

"Not me." Crono said with a smile.

Marle and Lucca helped him up.

The crystal slowly faded back.

The outer hull scattered.

"M, Melchior?" Marle said and looked on the man who was standing in front of her eyes.

"Indeed, I am Melchior. Have we met before?" Melchior said.

Then Crono remembered that people had been talking about Melchior.

But he hadn't made the connection. But now every card fell on it's place.

"More importantly, can you tell me anything about the Ocean Palace?" Melchior said.

"It's almost complete!" Crono said. "And the Queen will move down the Mammon machine."

"I see..." Melchior said. "The Queen has degenerated to that degree...

The more energy the Mammon Machine absorbs, the further the Queen degenerates.

Her spirit has been stolen by the infamous immortal, Lavos."

Then the ground started to shake.

"We must flee! The seal has been broken! The mountain will collapse!"

"What seal?" Crono asked, but didn't get any answer.

"Come on!" The raven swordsman urged.

"Elder! Mountain of Woe is about to crumble!" a man said panicly.

The elder of the Earthbound village walked quickly up to the surface.

He saw how the gigantic chain who was attached in the mountain scattered and the mountain fell.

"Lavos sleeps deep underground, while consuming the energy of this planet.

If the Mammon Machine is brought closer to him, he may awaken!

We must hurry before it's too late!" Melchior said.

They were inside the elders room. In here was Crono, Lucca, Marle, Melchior and the elder.

A man came in.

"Elder! Schala's here."

"What? Schala's here?" Melchior said and turned to the room opening.

They all did.

Schala came into the room, followed by Janus.

"Miss Schala... Why have you come to such a miserable place?" the Elder said.

Schala looked at him with a kind look.

"Stop degenerating yourselves! We Enlighted Ones were once the same as you.

The only difference is that we are under Lavos's control..."

Schala was so glad to see Melchior, she didn't notice Crono, Marle or Lucca.

"Melchior!" she said. "After the Mountain of Woe fell, I thought I would find you here!"

Melchior put his hand on her shoulder.

"Is it safe for you to leave the palace?"

Schala looked down.

"That no longer matters. The Ocean Palace is now operational!"

Melchior looked down.

"Then all is lost!"

"But without me, the Mammon Machine won't work." Schala said.

"I have turned my back against that evil device!"

"We'll help!" Crono said. "To do whatever's necessary."

"Oh, you!" Schala said. "How did you... no time... I'm glad you're safe."

"I've kept the Skyway open. Hurry! You must stop... my mother!"

"Why don't we keep it right there..." a voice said.

They all turned around.

"Dalton!" Schala exclaimed.

"Tisk, tisk, tisk my dear." Dalton said. "Your presence is required elsewhere!"

Melchior stepped forward.

"Dalton! Leave her alone!"

Dalton laughed.

"Ah! The geezer speaks!"

He smiled.

"Silence, old man!"

Dalton launched a fireball, who threw Melchior back, and in a matter of seconds, Dalton had ran to Schala.

"Argh!" Melchior yelled.

Dalton hit Schala, which forced her to her knees.

He looked down on her.

"You'll come to the Ocean Palace with me."

Then he turned to the others.

"Do anything funny, and Schala's dust. Got it?"

Janus ran forward to him.

"Schala!"

Dalton hit Janus and made him fly across the room.

"The Queen's children all seem to have a problem with authority, don't they?"

In less than one second, Crono had his sword up, Marle her crossbow and Lucca her gun. The raven haired swordsman pulled his katana out also.

"Stay back. The life of this woman means nothing to me!"

Crono holstered his sword.

Dalton looked down on Schala.

"Shall we get going, Schala, dear? Your mother awaits!"

With a flash, Dalton, Schala and Janus disappeared.


End file.
